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Ron Stoppable
Ronald "Ron" Stoppable is a fictional character from the hit Fox animated television series Kim Possible, voiced by actor Will Friedle. He is the lifelong best friend and faithful sidekick of the show's main character, Kim Possible (just as her name is a take on the word "impossible," his is a take on the word "unstoppable"). In Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama, he becomes her boyfriend. Ron first appeared in the premiere episode in June 2002, and starred in every single episode of the series. During the first two seasons of Kim Possible, Ron was the show's breakout character and "Ronmania" ensued, spawning Ron Stoppable-themed merchandise touting his rebellious attitude and pride at underachieving, which caused many parents and educators to cast him as a bad role model for children. Around the third season, the series started to focus more on Kim and Ron as a whole, though Ron still remains a prominent character. Time named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 21st century, and he was named "entertainer of the year" in 2003 by Entertainment Weekly. Will Fredile has won several awards for voicing Ron. History Ron is an only natural child from an observant Jewish family (see religion).6 He met Kim during their first day at preschool and they have been firm friends ever since.7 Ron's father is an actuary, which means he can work from anywhere. He eventually moves the family to Norway, and then to the Moon.8 In A Sitch in Time, Ron is depicted as having been an articulate, observant child able to comprehend concepts too complex for the average child of his age, as having an imaginary friend named "Rufus", and as having a strong social conscience but also underdeveloped social skills which set him apart from other children.7 As a teenager, he has a pet naked mole rat named Rufus and has slept with a nightlight since the age of four.9 Many aspects of Ron's current personality can be traced back to various traumatic events from his childhood that have been shown in a variety of flashbacks throughout seasons 1-3. The event which is referenced most often in the series was a summer that he spent in a rundown sleepaway camp named Camp Wannaweep, during which time he called home so many times asking to leave the camp that his mother eventually refused to accept his calls.1011 While at Wannaweep, Ron was bullied by other campers and forced to share an insect-infested cabin with the camp's overactive chimpanzee mascot “Bobo”. This led him to develop a pathological fear of monkeys and apes that has been frequently mentioned throughout the series, as well as a less-mentioned fear of insects and spiders. It was also during this summer at Wannaweep that Ron first encountered fellow camper Gil Moss, with whom he traded his slot on the swim schedule for a second slot in arts and crafts. Gil later returned as Gill, a villain seeking revenge on Ron, whom he blamed for causing him to mutate (a result of spending all day swimming in the lake's polluted water).11 During Season 2, it was revealed that Ron was first introduced to the freelance hero business when reclusive Upperton millionaire Mr. Paisley became trapped in his own vault. His associate, Mr. McHenry, attempted to contact “Team Impossible”, a group of heroes-for-hire, but accidentally contacted Kim Possible instead.712 Based on the period in which Kim wore braces, this event was some 2 years prior to the start of season 1.13 Ron's feelings for Kim have been addressed several times during seasons 1-3, most notably when Kim came under the influence of a mood-altering device that caused her to pursue him romantically,14 and were finally resolved during the last installment of the Season 3 finale (originally intended to be the final episode of the franchise). As of Season 4, he and Kim are officially a couple. Senior year also sees Ron join the high school football team as its star running back, using the running and dodging skills he honed as Kim's sidekick. It is speculated from the episode "Big Bother" that Ron is 18 years old, but that is not confirmed. Personality Personality-wise, Ron is the polar opposite of Kim. Like Shego, he displays a lack of ambition and a propensity for sarcasm toward villains such as Dr. Drakken. He reacts differently from Kim in almost every situation, excels at things that she has difficulties with (and vice versa), and sees the world in a different way. He is probably also the most diverse character in the franchise, and is the character who has displayed the most contradictions/contrasts in terms of personality and capability throughout the franchise (see contrasts). He also tends to overreact to change, even when they're minor. For most of the franchise, Ron's character consists of three primary teen comedy/drama stereotypes: * A "type B" friend to a "type A" character * A “bumbling sidekick” * A “high school underdog” Type B personality As a type B, Ron is primarily cheerful and upbeat, is highly resistant to most forms of peer pressure, and is largely unconcerned with appearance and fads, which he considers to be shallow and transitory.16 Because of this, Ron frequently serves as a counterbalance to Kim's type A personality, often encouraging her to take a step back in episodes where her competitive nature goes into overdrive, and helping her to get things in perspective when she frets over “teen issues” such as the “food chain” and how others think of her.16171819 Kim herself often performs a similar function for Ron by motivating him, encouraging him to participate in some areas, and attempting to dampen down his enthusiasm in others.20 Ron's personality is defined by ego but not in such an obvious way as type A Kim. He tends to become fixated with ideas, objects, and concepts that cannot be dislodged from his mind, even after they have proven to be flawed. During early episodes this usually took the form of Ron disagreeing with Kim over the intentions of a villain: for example, believing that Drakken wanted to "steal Christmas",1 or that Señor Senior, Sr. intended to create a global shortage of miniature corn dogs,21 and primarily served as dialogue during "covert entry" scenes. However, as Ron's personality developed with the franchise, this tendency became more pronounced. It was most evident in later episodes such as "Mad Dogs and Aliens" and "Grande Size Me". In the former, Ron obsesses over the fact that Jim and Tim have replaced him as team mascot. He doesn't think they can live up to his legacy and takes it too personally, to the point where he tries to become their coach. In the latter, Ron refuses to believe that eating junk food can cause health and fitness problems. He tries to disprove it by eating nothing but Bueno Nacho meals (a play on the real world documentary Super Size Me). As a result, when his clothes start becoming tight he attributes it to shrinkage in the laundry and he attributes his shortness of breath to lack of clean air. However, when he grows in height he says it's the diet he's on, not realizing that his falling into Henchco's Titan vat was the reason. Ron has on occasion expressed his usually hidden arrogance, which typically results from a bout of self confidence combined with his tendency to go overboard with things. Kim once commented that Ron is "prone to big-headiness." The statement came as a result of the sudden ego boost Ron received from learning that Global Justice wished to study him over Kim because they believed that he was the reason for Team Possible's success.22 Ron has also displayed considerable bouts of jealousy throughout the show, especially when he feels that he does not have Kim's undivided attention.2324 However, all of Ron's Kim-centered jealousy is entirely restricted to the instance of Kim paying attention to others over him. He has never expressed envy over her abilities, instead offering her encouragement in the field and showing himself to be a loyal friend (and later boyfriend). Another effect of this personality type is that Ron tends to doubt himself more often than not, making himself subservient to Kim. It is highly probable that his behavior patterns have been influenced by Kim's frequently overbearing and hypercompetitive Type A tendencies, causing him to back down as a trained response because he knows that Kim does not like to lose. Because he values Kim more than anything, Ron is willing to sacrifice anything for her, including his own potential for greatness. All of these self-imposed restrictions are lost, however, when Ron becomes his alter ego, Zorpox. Because he is evil, Zorpox does not care about hurting Kim's feelings and therefore has no problem unleashing his full potential. The first time he was transformed, Zorpox was able to convert his tricycle into a plasma catapult, as well as create not one, but two doomsday devices in only a few hours.25 In "Stop Team Go", he demonstrated that Ron is a much more capable fighter than he normally appears, incapacitating a swarm of about forty Wegos in under ten seconds. Bumbling sidekick As a “bumbling sidekick", Ron is typically portrayed as being extremely loyal but also clumsy and lacking in bravery. He tends to “trip over his own feet” in most episodes, often in comical or socially embarrassing ways, and during missions it is common for him to comically fail to do something that Kim has done flawlessly—for example, he might ski backwards down a mountain and collide with a tree just after Kim has successfully navigated the slope. He also loses his pants often on missions. A regular running gag in the series is that Ron rarely receives any recognition for his actions helping Kim, and other characters have a hard time remembering his name, even if they've met him multiple times; Dr. Drakken has referred to him as "that guy," "the boy who always loses his pants" and most notably, "the buffoon." The only villain to consistently remember Ron's name is his archenemy, Monkey Fist. This has actually earned Ron's respect, as he tells Monkey Fist in the episode "Overdue".26 Ron's clumsiness was very pronounced in early episodes, often resulting in him endangering himself or the mission, and forcing Kim to stop whatever she was currently doing to save him. However, as the series has progressed his skills have become more proficient and he has required rescuing much less frequently. In later episodes, much of his clumsiness primarily serves as comic relief and is portrayed as awkwardness rather than incompetence; he is often shown performing feats of physical skill and dexterity alongside Kim, albeit in an awkward and slightly panicked manner in contrast to Kim's usually graceful and deliberate performance. The show's creators have stated that Ron's performance during action sequences was originally supposed to be based on Jackie Chan, performing physical feats in an uncertain and improvised, but ultimately effective, manner.[citation needed] Although Ron's clumsiness has caused problems (for example, allowing villains to escape)27 it also often works in his favor, allowing him to accomplish things through clumsiness that neither he nor Kim were able to do through pure skill (see The Ron Factor). According to Wade, this may be a quantifiable ability that Ron possesses, though the in-universe international espionage organization Global Justice has investigated this possibility and ruled it false.22 Another long-running trait of Ron's is his sizable list of phobias. His fear of monkeys is frequently mentioned, and he has also been shown to be pathologically fearful of insects,28 mechanical horses (triggered by an accident with a coin-operated horse ride in which he lost 2 baby teeth),29 garden gnomes (triggered by a gnome-related tricycle accident),30 and many other things. Often, episodes show him panicking on missions when confronted by anything threatening or dangerous. He also had a tendency to be paranoid in some cases, an end result of his childhood phobias and bad experiences. Despite his fears, Ron usually manages to come through in the end, and by the end of the series Ron has dealt with all of them at least once, and overcome them, again, most notably his fear of monkeys. Kim's cousin Joss remarks that Ron's actions in loyally following Kim into danger despite being afraid of practically everything is a mark of true bravery.29 It is one of the show's most well known running gags for Ron to lose his pants or even get unwittingly stripped down to his boxer shorts in some comical way. In Season 2, he states that this has happened so often that he is no longer embarrassed about it.31 However, in season 4, he admits that he is still perturbed by the fact that this continues to happen even when he is a high school senior.2 Later that same season (in the episode "Clean Slate"), Kim gives Ron a titanium-enforced belt as a "half-iversary" present (it had been six months since they started dating) to help with "the pants thing" as it came to be known; Ron denies that he has a problem until a food cart passes him, ripping off his pants. He then admits his problem. Later in that episode, Ron took the belt off and accidentally dropped his pants yet again, which triggered in Kim a flashback of virtually all of the times Ron lost his pants, which somewhat ironically finished healing the amnesia Kim had for most of the episode.24 After the loss of his pants, Ron sometimes tends to make sarcastic comments about it, such as stating it happens "even in Japan" while at the Yamanouchi ninja school.32 In the video game Kim Possible 3: Team Possible, Ron loses his pants in the form of an idle animation.3 High school underdog Alongside his general clumsiness, Ron does not excel in school and often appears to have difficulty grasping simple facts or concepts, even if they are spelled out to him. This is attributed to the fact he has a limited understanding of the topic or the way in which it is being discussed or that he usually does not pay attention.3334 Due to the nature of Ron's role within the series, it is not always clear when this is part of his permanent persona, and when it is intended purely as comic relief. Ron's problems are accentuated by his overall lack of focus, and by a tendency towards a laziness which, at its most extreme, included expecting his lab partner to do all of the work on the grounds that their natural motivation to succeed would compel them to pick up his slack.35 Ironically, while it is a common gag for Ron to fail to understand everyday words or euphemisms (such as the phrase "fraternal twins"), Ron demonstrates a slightly more advanced vocabulary than other characters on the franchise, often using longer words than a person of his age might otherwise use, and maintaining more controlled style of speech throughout the series as well as reflecting complex and unusual lines of thought that slip other character's attention, including comments on Kim's own statements and behavior. However, such observations by Ron only serve to further give other characters the impression that he is odd and weird. These characteristics were particularly evident when Ron was younger;711 in later episodes, they are less prevalent, but still reasonably frequent. Ron also has a tendency to hold onto childhood habits and customs, often stubbornly refusing to change despite the negative reactions of others. For example, he goes out trick-or-treating at a time when most people his age would have long ceased.36 In the Season 4 episode "Grande Size Me", he does not appreciate that eating nothing but Bueno Nacho food would cause him to decline in health and physique.37 In "The Big Job", when Monique hints that he should get a job, he doesn't understand even when Monique tells him that he'd have "mad money."38 As is common for a fictional underdog, Ron has a tendency to have low expectations of his performance and to set low standards for himself, both academically and socially. He lacks focus and often appears to fare poorly due to either a lack of effort and a lack of belief in his own abilities27 or through trying too hard and coming across as a clown.39 His efforts to fit in are often hampered by the fact that he is moderately hyperactive and has a tendency to act with a pronounced level of immaturity, which has earned him a reputation as a loser among his peers.2339However, for the most part, Ron's type B personality means that he either does not notice this, and thus tends to embarrass those around him more than himself,1136 or that he passes his quirks off as part of his intrinsic “Ronness” and ignores what others think. This was most evidenced when he was first introduced in the pilot episode "Crush", when he declared his motto to "Never be normal!".1 Though Ron appears to become accustomed to the idea that others see him as being uncool, and usually shrugs it off, he has been known to seek acceptance from peers on several occasions (usually in an attempt to be noticed by girls), with varying levels of success. Two notable occasions were when he attempted to reinvent himself during a spring break trip to Florida39 and when he tried out for school mascot the “Middleton Mad dog”.11 In the case of the former, Ron was branded a loser within a day of arriving. In the case of the latter, Ron won the crowd's acceptance, but managed to upset the entire cheer squad in the process. On the occasions that Ron has achieved a level of acceptance from his peers, he usually revels in it,3440 and sometimes allows it to go to his head.4142 Though never directly stereotyped as being a dork/geek, he has been referred to as one on several occasions, and has many typical dork/geek traits. This is evidenced by his love of “cult” computer games,4344 his occasional fascination with the science fiction and fantasy genres, and by his ability to get along with Kim's geekish cousin Larry.10 Ron's personality traits were most clearly demonstrated when his school was hit by a fictional personality-guide fad known as animology, under which he is classified as being a pink sloth: a socially inept outcast and follower, who smells of overripe fruit.21 This, in addition to his considerable largely trivial knowledge, combined with poor social skills, inability to understand euphemisms, refusal to accept change and tendency for fixating on things has led some fans to suggest he has Asperger syndrome[citation needed]. During the school career fair, Ron was drawn toward food service.45 Constant transformations Though not necessarily a personality trait, Ron's ability to get himself into situations where he was physically transformed seemed endless. It was even mocked in the episode "Grande Size Me", where Ron states to the audience the unpleasantness of being physically transformed. In "Ron the Man", Ron is transformed into a Muscle Man through the use of a muscle enhancing ring, though this was deliberate on Ron's behalf. In "Return to Camp Wannaweep", to combat the villainous Gill, Ron leapt into toxic waste and became a powerful man-beaver. In "Grande Size Me", Ron is transformed into a large Hulk- like orange skinned man, this time against his will after falling into a tub where Jack Hench's Project Titan was being stored. In this episode, Ron defeated Gemini and arch foe Monkey Fist. This was the second time he defeated Monkey Fist one on one, but is largely ignored due to Ron's mutation. In "Nursery Crimes", Ron is transformed into a baby against his will. Though not necessarily a physical transformation, Ron is endowed with matter destroying powers against his will in "Mathter and Fervant" by the Mathter. Contrast Despite usually being portrayed as being awkward, childish, distracted, and an underachiever, Ron's character has been shown to have hidden depths and abilities which the franchise occasionally explored as plot devices or MacGuffins. Among Ron's hidden talents are demonstrable creative and intellectual streaks. He wrote the song that Kim sung at the school talent contest9 and the Naked Mole Rap,46 is a talented cook,47 and enjoys success in many craft-related activities (including constructing his own custom made Mad Dog head20 and trapping Gill with a net he made of lanyards, saying "arts and crafts is my element"). He also often makes profound observations on life, society, and all kinds of logics that belie his normal portrayal as having an “uncomplicated mind”, and he displayed all of the qualities needed to be rapidly promoted to a management position during his very short-lived career at the Middleton Bueno Nacho.48 He also has a lot of other talents, such as ventriloquism or dancing, as seen in the talent show.9 Although this might not count as a skill, he did invent the Naco (a nacho-taco hybrid).